The challenges of youth and the optimistic outlook for the future
“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧? 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩. 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚, 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚.”– 𝘏𝘢 𝘌𝘶𝘯 𝘎𝘺𝘦𝘰𝘭
I kind of wish I could meet my parents when they were younger. That'd be cool, right? There are some plot holes in the show, but honestly, it’s still a really good drama. It makes you think about how our parents have their own stories and perspectives. I wonder how many of us really try to understand them. Plus, you get a glimpse into the lives of CODA, youth, parental relationship, first love etc . They’re all flawed in their own way, but they’re working to become better versions of themselves.
Oh, and the music? Really good.
It's actually inspired me to learn sign language.
Cons:
The time travel part wasn't well explained(which is a common problem in many time travel dramas.)
There were some little errors between scenes.For example, the male lead has a guitar in one scene, but in the next, he’s ruining without it. Although it’s a minor detail, if you pay close attention, it can be distracting.
The male lead is way too persistent with the second female lead.Sometimes it felt like they were throwing in romance with the main female lead just for the kid's sake. But, hey, I get it they were trying to show that first love craziness. Lol.
The ending felt rushed and overly optimistic. I was actually curious about the second female lead's family and how she’d get along with her parents in the future.
Overall, I’d give it an 8.7 out of 10.
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Super Sweet, Super Funny Drama
This is the first drama in a long while that I have absolutely sailed through because I was enjoying it so much.The cast is phenomenal, and I mean all of them. I will say that ML's mom from the past, Cheong-Ah (Shin Eun-Soo) did really start getting on my nerves. I understand she had a horrible childhood, but even when the boy she likes finally starts to do nice things for her, rescue her, etc., she storms off grumpy. She stormed off on Se Kyung (Seol In Ah) when they were all at that cabin and I was like, "Wow I don't even know what she's mad about this time!" Legitimately. I still have no idea even after I played it back. That got old quickly.
My only real complaint about this show is that it got incredibly difficult to follow the story near the beginning. and even more difficult to figure out who is who and when we're in the past vs the future. It made things very confusing for a good awhile. Not to mention, I suppose it's a key part of the explanation of the plot, but the fact that Se Kyung and her daughter were both played by the same actress (Seol In Ah), made it even worse in the beginning since I was already struggling with so many people and never being sure what year it was. lol
One more very minor complaint is that some of the plot lines, certain scenes, etc., just drag on too long for no reason. I found myself skipping forward in 10 second increments quite a bit. They had some of those moments where they're meant to sit quietly for dramatic effect, but there were too many and they went on for too long at times. Felt like lazy filler.
Oh, I also wish Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) and Se Kyung (Seol In Ah) had pieced together that they were both from the future, must sooner than they did. I mean Squid Games? And not even a question from him. Could've been really cool if Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) actually did believe Eun Gyeol about being from the future. Obviously it ruins part of the magic and story, but I feel like that would've been fun.
The ending did seem a bit rushed. Considering how many times I hit the skip ahead 10 seconds button, I feel like they definitely could have used their time better. I wasn't sure how it would work with Cheong Ah not being told by her father what happened to Yi Chan, and being whisked off to America, but I am happy with the ending. Especially that dad got to live the life he wanted, at least to some degree.
I had high hopes for this as it had a 9.2 rating when I started it, and I've noticed people on here are not as generous as I am with my ratings, and I was right. It was a phenomenal drama.
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The best drama out there
definitely my favourite kdrama of all time.this is the BEST drama out there, everything about it is perfect
the plot is so unique and well-written, like how tf did someone come up with a masterpiece like that???
this show has everything: comedy, nostalgia, romance, family, friendship, time-travel, disability
watching it will really make it get to you, you'll want to start a band of your own and experience a love story like that.
one character specifically is what makes it so special: ha yichan.
this guy is the LIFE of this show omg, he's so funny and adorable, and choi hyunwook did a great job acting as him
one flaw, is the last episode, because its so rushed and it feels like there's so much that they missed in it -- but I see it as because the plot is so complex, that's how they had to do it I guess? it was a vague ending though, we didn't see what happened after eungyeol went to the future for example or why ha yichan named his kid after his friend (son from the future) but..
its such a beautifully written and beautiful show in general.
ill never get over it too
live, laugh, twinkling watermelon
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Perfection
Truth to be told, I had no expectations when I started watching this. It was a random pick on a Sunday evening when I was bored. But God, did I expect it to be this good? Hell nah.I'll be blunt. The first to episodes were boring and confusing. I was questioning who was the lead, who is this, who is that and all sort of things. But as I said, I was bored and kept watching.
But once he travelled back in time, I was laughing my lungs out and was itching to watch the next episode. I have not once pulled an all-nighter for a show. But I did for this one cause it was THAT good. I usually take upto a week to finish a show. This took me 3 days.
Go watch it people, it is one of the best drama I watched.
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Refreshing yet frustrating one-time watch
Well-executed timelapse, family trauma, okay-ish romance, great banter between ML and FL.Great acting. Music not to my taste. Refreshing friendship. It was nice to watch a youth drama for a change, but the slow pacing tested my patience. Well-rounded female lead, but it also had me enraged over everything she had to endure growing up. Her struggles were hard to watch at times, and I couldn’t help but be frustrated. The emotional weight made it a bit too much for a rewatch, and once you know the plot, there’s little left to revisit. That said, as a one-time watch, it’s definitely worth experiencing. Most imp- Happy ending.
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The Best Coming of Age Drama I've Seen In Ages
**This is just my opinion. I truly appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the production of this drama. Thank you.**To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot when I started watching this series. I wasn't familiar with the actors and I'm not a fan of time travel in stories. I decided to watch it because I was curious about Eun Gyeol's story. I'm very glad that I did and couldn't recommend it more highly.
It has a phenomenal cast, is very well written and has a beautiful soundtrack. It is heartwarming, funny, sad, suspenseful and ultimately satisfying. I laughed out loud and was moved to actual tears several times, a rarity for me. Viki has the lyrics to the songs translated as well so those of us who don't speak Korean are able to better appreciate the music. If you're interested in knowing them, as I am, I'd recommend watching it on there.
There are already reviews that are very detailed about the plot and characters and I've no desire to ruin it for anyone. If I were to change one thing about the drama, I would simply ask that there be more of it. Especially the ending which felt a little rushed.
I was happy that the writers, cast and production people made a series about a CODA student and his family in such a respectful, yet natural way. It was very well done.
All of the cast did an absolutely fantastic job, especially Ryeoun, who played Ha Eun Gyeoul, Choi Hyun Wook, who played Ha Lee Chan, Shin Eun Soo, who played Yoon Cheong Ah, and Seoul In Ah, who played Choi Se Kyeong. Jung Hyun Joon, who played Ha Eun Gyeoul as a child, and Choi Won Young, who played the older Lee Chan, were amazing as well.
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A high school rom-com with a lot of music, '90s style, and very charming characters.
This show is the GOAT of all dramas, so you should definitely watch it! The plot is about an 18-year-old guitarist who goes back to 1995 after fighting with his father. And the first person he meets—guess who? Yes, it's his father, but the same age as him!I won't dwell on the events that take place because it's best to discover them by watching; and although some of them may be predictable, they're still quite enjoyable. Also, the soundtrack is amazing, so you can look forward to it! The actors and actresses did a wonderful job—so much so that I fell in love with On Eun Yu (Seol In Ah) and I wish she were real, lmao.
Hope you like it!
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Best Drama I've seen in a very long time.
The last time I was this attached to a show's characters was reply 1988. Everything from the story progression, to the music, cinematography, emotional depth was on point.This story took us on a journey of knowing what is really worth in life, and that sometimes you just have to live in the moment and do what you can.
All the actors did an amazing job. The chemistry between everyone was on point, especially between Lee Chan and Eun Gyeol. I love that the ending was picture perfect and exactly what everyone deserved.
The comedic timings of all the characters especially Lee Chan were fantastic.
I can keep going on and on about this show, but most importantly, this shows puts things into perspective for everyone and is relatable no matter who you are. If you are looking for a little slice of life, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.
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This is one of my favorite k-dramas out there
Twinkling Watermelon is one of my favorite K-dramas. I recently rewatched it for the first time, and it was just as amazing as I remembered.When I first heard about this drama, I didn’t plan to watch it while it was still ongoing because I usually avoid ongoing shows. However, the spoilers people were posting intrigued me so much that I gave in. I kept telling myself to wait until it finished airing, but every day, it felt like the wait would never end. By episode 10, I finally decided to start watching. The main reason I was drawn to it was its focus on the experiences of deaf individuals, which resonated with me because my uncle is also deaf. It’s rare to find a drama that explores such characters so well.
Episode 1 is crucial for any K-drama since it needs to hook the audience right away, and Twinkling Watermelon did exactly that. The background story of Eun-gyeol’s family was heartbreaking, and his personal struggles were deeply moving. He had to hide his love for music from his family because he was the only one who could hear and speak, and he felt the weight of their expectations. If he failed, people would blame his parents. He couldn’t afford to be a failure, and that pressure built up so much stress. Music became his escape.
One reason I fell in love with this drama is that I love bands. But I was so frustrated—why wasn’t there a Watermelon Sugar version of the songs?! Did the actors not sing? Or was the band not skilled enough with their instruments to release a proper version? I was really disappointed about that.
As for the characters, my favorite is definitely Yi-chan. Choi Hyun-wook did an amazing job portraying him—he’s so funny and relatable. As someone who is the same age as the characters in the drama, I really connected with Yi-chan’s desire to form a band and make his youth shine. (I just wish I were extroverted like him so I could "twinkle" too.) It’s also incredibly sad because when he tells Eun-gyeol about his dream, we as viewers already know his future—one where he loses his ability to speak and can’t continue making music. That made me so emotional.
Chung-ah’s voice was beautiful. It was so soft and soothing, and I loved listening to her. One of my favorite moments was when she told Yi-chan, "You own your feelings, and I own mine." That line really stuck with me.
One of the saddest scenes in the drama was Yi-chan’s dream of getting into college and graduating. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Overall, this was a fantastic drama. I absolutely loved it. I’d rate it a solid 9.5/10. However, there were quite a few plot holes and unresolved questions that left me frustrated.
Questions That Needed Answers
I feel like the ending was rushed. Eun-gyeol returned to the present in episode 16, but that was already halfway through the episode, leaving very little time to wrap things up properly. They should have added more minutes to explain everything more thoroughly.
Here are the questions I wish had been answered:
1. What happened to Eun-yu? What happened to her family? Did her parents still get divorced, or did they reconcile? The ending didn’t mention her at all, even though she played a huge role in helping Eun-gyeol.
2. Did Watermelon Sugar and Chung-ah recognize Eun-gyeol? This is a major plot hole for me. It seems impossible that they would forget him when he was such an important part of their lives. He was the band’s guitarist, the reason Yi-chan had his accident, the person who helped Chung-ah escape her abusive stepmother, and the one who taught her sign language. How could they not remember him?
3. Why did Viva become the master? And how did Eun-yu know that the master was her grandfather? Just how?
Despite these lingering questions, I truly loved the overall story. It beautifully captured the essence of youth, and as someone who is still young, I found it incredibly relatable.
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Arguably the best
This k-drama did (almost) everything perfect. The acting/cast was phenomenal. The main four actors are all such great actors (plus they’re all so attractive). The music fits perfectly with all the scenes, adding a powerful emotional element. The OST is also just so fun to listen to regularly. I definitely cried in the last episode. My only complaint is that the ending was a bit rushed but all the other amazing parts of the show make up for it. Overall, a very family-friendly, binge worthy show that I’d definitely rewatch several times. Candidate for best k-drama of 2023, if not all-time.Was this review helpful to you?
MUST WATCH
SOSOS GOOD this drama had me crying every single episode especially the last one 💔Twinkling watermelon got me out of my kdrama slump for sure. im gonna miss it so much. Every single character brought sm comfort & made watching sm fun even though the storyline is really sad.(The only thing i didn’t like was the ending bc it was a bit rushed but it was still good.) Definitely recommend watching this one even if you’re not into time traveling/fantasy like me i’m glad i gave this dramas a chance so you should too.
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well written and exciting plot
The kdrama's only flaw is the fact that it ended up leaving several gaps empty. I was hoping to see a little more of the protagonist when he returns to the current year, but I also think this could be a big wild card for a possible second season 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽. One of the best kdrama I've ever seen, I cried my eyes out in some episodes, it brought me an inner peace that made me become immersed and finish the entire series in one go. Very good, I will recommend it to everyone.Was this review helpful to you?
